Welcoming Sen. Barack Obama to Oakland County

by: Gary Peters

Tue Jun 03, 2008 at 13:11:11 PM EDT

CD09: Peters to introduce Obama?

by: Eric B.

Mon Jun 02, 2008 at 12:03:05 PM EDT

Buried at the bottom of a preview story on today's visit to Oakland County by Barack Obama at Michigan Messenger:

We've also been told that Democratic congressional candidate Gary Peters, running in the MI-09 district which includes part of Oakland County, will introduce Sen. Obama today at the event.

...

Bring Wes Clark to Michigan

by: Eric B.

Tue May 27, 2008 at 14:56:29 PM EDT

Wes Clark is going to a Congressional District to work, side-by-side with a Democrat running for Congress, on a community service project.  Michigan has both of its top-tier campaigns in the running.  Vote here.

Neither Michigan district is currently listed in the top five, but results are reportedly tight.  Voting ends Friday.

I voted for Gary Peters.  I voted for him because I think he probably needs the help a Wes Clark visit might mean more than Mark Schauer does.  Also, the e-mail alert I got on this specifically mentioned Peters' name, which I interpret to mean that maybe he's closer to breaking into the top five.

Bring Wes Clark to the 9th District!

by: TJarrell

Tue May 27, 2008 at 14:03:28 PM EDT

Click here to cast your vote to send Gen. Wesley Clark to the 9th district to campaign for Gary Peters and show Joe Knollenberg what a real patriot looks like! The field of candidates will be narrowed down to five this Friday. Right now Peters is not in the top five, vote now to ensure he will be by the end of the week.

 Here is the current leaderboard from Democrats Work:

Thousands of votes are in, but only 75 votes separate first place from fifth. The numbers are tight all the way down the bracket.

Our leader board right now has New Jersey’s 7^th, Washington’s 8^th, Colorado’s 4^th, Nevada’s 2^nd, and California’s 4^th districts, but it is anybody’s game!

Two districts from Minnesota, two districts from North Carolina, and West Virginia’s 2^nd district are all knocking on the door.

There is nobody that I would count out of it, and if any district makes a big push by Friday, they could easily find them selves in the final round.p>

 VOTE NOW!

We Will Flip the 9th

by: Mike in MI

Sat May 17, 2008 at 16:17:56 PM EDT

The 9th District (Race tracker wiki), is located entirely in Oakland County, just northwest of Detroit.  It has traditionally been a Republican leaning area, but over the course of the last decade, it has moved conistently Democratic, to the point now, that Democrats are coming into the majority.  In the 2008 cycle, we will likely pick up several more mayors seats and take the majority of county commission seats.  On the national level, we are seen as just slightly Republican (Cook lists the 9th as R +0), and so, with a good candidate and enough money, this is a seat that can be flipped.  

LSJ blog: CD07: lean challenger; CD09: Toss-up

by: Eric B.

Thu May 15, 2008 at 15:26:45 PM EDT

The Lansing State Journal is the first place I've seen to call the race for the 7th as leaning for the challenger, and the 9th as a toss-up.

Recent races out of state seem to suggest that there will be yet another Democratic wave this November - bad news for two GOP incumbents. And primary challengers are making the race more interesting for two Detroit Dems.

...

Wrong again, as usual

by: Eric B.

Wed May 14, 2008 at 14:00:00 PM EDT

From Right Michigan:

Reports out of Mount Pleasant indicate the school's Human Resources Department has finalized a policy that would require professors to pick between Congress and campus.

Under the new policy, which comes some three weeks after classes ended, Peters will be required to resign by June 5 -- 60 days before the Democratic primary on August 5 -- if he wants to challenge Congressman Joe Knollenberg.

Headline from The Conservative Dossier (Joe Sylvester!):

Dennis Lennox defeated Gary Peters; now lets see if Joe Knollenberg is up for the challenge

Is it true? Sadly, No. From Gongwer:

Despite assertions by his opponents, U.S. House candidate Gary Peters, who is challenging U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Bloomfield Hills) in a race that will be the most-watched this fall, is not being forced to resign his teaching post or take a leave of absence during the campaign, Central Michigan University officials said.

Students Against Gary Peters, a group that has pushed to have Mr. Peters fired from his CMU post since he announced his candidacy last fall, argued that a new policy would require Mr. Peters to leave his post 60 days before the election.

But CMU spokesperson Steve Smith said the university is still operating under a 1955 policy on conflicts between campaigning and working on campus.

That policy is under review to make some changes, including making it more gender neutral. Neither the current policy nor the proposed amendments would require Mr. Peters to step down unless he is elected to a post that would not allow him to fulfill his job duties, Mr. Smith said. The current policy leaves the decision of a leave of absence or resignation to the employee and his or her supervisor.

CD09: Gary Peters live chat

by: Eric B.

Fri May 09, 2008 at 12:00:00 PM EDT

It's very appropriate that today we welcome Gary Peters, the Democratic candidate for Michigan's 9th Congressional District, for a live chat here at Michigan Liberal.  If you haven't heard the news, the Cook Report released its latest yesterday, shifting the 9th from "Likely Republican" to "Lean Republican."  That means, as of now, things are going Peters' way in the race, and it's important to continue the necessary momentum to continue shifting it.

Although Knollenberg is a stronger incumbent than, say, Tim Walberg, Peters has some important things going for him.  The first is the general shift in the district's demographics, making it an increasingly Democratic district.  The second is represented by Peters' endorsement of the League of Conservation Voters, and the inclusion of Knollenberg on the LCV's Dirty Dozen.  The LCV, you see, had to come up with a new list because in 2006, a number of its ranks were thinned through the election process, many based on active support from environmental groups.  In this race, at this time when being Green is swiftly becoming synonymous with making green, that could prove decisive.

Peters will be with us from 12:30 until generally 1:30, and we start taking questions now from anyone who can't stick around.  If, after getting to know him a little better, you feel so inclined, here's his Act Blue page. 

CD07: Toss up; CD09: Shift from Likely Republican to lean Republican

by: Eric B.

Thu May 08, 2008 at 22:31:09 PM EDT

The Cook Political Report moves Michigan's two biggest races in favor of the two Democrats.  The 7th District goes from "Lean Republican" to "Toss up," and the 9th goes from "Likely Republican" to "Lean Republican."

For Mark Schauer, this means the second bit of ratification in the last couple of days.  It was Roll Call who most lately called the race a toss up.  Without mentioning anything, this really represents a Schauer advantage, since it means moving things in his direction.

As such could be said for Gary Peters, challenging Joe Knollenberg in the 9th.  The remarkable thing in the 9th is that Knollenberg enjoys a fund raising advantage over his opponent.

You can show Peters a little extra love tomorrow by showing up between noon and 1:30 p.m. to meet Peters in a live chat with MichLib's readers. 

CD09: Gary Peters live chat!

by: Eric B.

Mon May 05, 2008 at 12:00:00 PM EDT

I'm pleased to announce that 9th District Congressional candidate Gary Peters will be with us this Friday today for a live chat from 12:30-1:30 p.m.  As is the custom for these things, I'll throw up a diary at noon to give people who maybe can't make it for that hour a chance to leave a question.

Update! ... The live chat diary will go live at noon so anyone who can't be present while Peters is with us has the opportunity to leave a question and read the answer later.

Mission Not Accomplished - Caring for Our Veterans

by: Gary Peters

Fri May 02, 2008 at 11:11:08 AM EDT

Friends,

First, I’d like to begin by thanking all of you for your support. Because of contributions from people like you, our campaign has just been ranked in CQ’s list of the top ten best funded challengers in the country. The voters in Michigan’s 9th Congressional district are tired of the failed leadership they’ve gotten from my opponent, Congressman Joe Knollenberg, for the past sixteen years, and they’re eager for a real change in Washington.

As a former Lt. Commander in the Navy, I wanted to take a moment to write to you this week as we pass the fifth anniversary of one of the most shameful moments in recent American history. On May 1st, 2003, President George W. Bush landed on the USS Abraham Lincoln, in front of the now-infamous “Mission Accomplished” banner and said these words: “My fellow Americans, major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.”

More after the break. 

CD07, CD09: Schauer, Peters among CQ's Top 10

by: Eric B.

Thu May 01, 2008 at 08:14:23 AM EDT

Again, Michigan's two top-tier Congressional races get national recognition:

Six months before Election Day, Democrats are more likely than not to gain rather than lose seats in the House and augment the net gain of 30 seats they made in the 2006 election. One reason for the Democrats’ optimism is that their party is fielding many well-funded challengers to Republican incumbents.

Democrats comprise nine of the 10 most cash-rich challengers to incumbents of the opposite party, according to a CQ Politics analysis of updated campaign finance reports that most candidates for Congress had to file by April 15. In most cases, the reports cover campaign receipts and expenditures through the end of this year’s first quarter.

Schauer comes in at number five; Peters at number nine. 

Peters: Let's revisit NAFTA

by: Eric B.

Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 23:07:30 PM EDT

Gary Peters tells the AFL-CIO that he wants to revisit NAFTA.

Peters said trade deals such as NAFTA and the Central American Free Trade Agreement need to be revisited to include improved labor standards and environmental protections.

...

Right Michigan vs. Joe Knollenberg

by: Eric B.

Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 00:45:00 AM EDT

Here is Nick from Right Michigan, yesterday:

... You think if General Motors received a hundred million bucks in the form of a MEGA tax credit they'd find a way to keep those shifts in Flint and Pontiac?  The State would basically be buying every truck that came off the line for a while but whatever... details.  If the purpose of those big fancy decisions is to "create" or "retain" jobs, as if that, not creating a positive "environment" is the State's role, then the ends justify the means, right?

Wrong.  You'd have State government propping up one struggling business so that it could continue to make products that fail in the marketplace.  ...

You can read the entire thing if you want, because it is a thing of beauty ... an unedited stream-of-senselessness that runs the gamut from taxation to DTE to the Democratic convention.  If written in tiny, scrawling handwriting in a loose-leaf notebook, you might mistake it as the beginnings of a manifesto found under the floorboards of a cabin in the north woods.

But, here is the Joe Knollenberg, in the Detroit News, today:

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg proposed spending more than $1.2 billion over five years to aid domestic automakers as they spend billions to comply with new fuel economy standards.

Right, I look forward to the inevitable contortions that explain this away, requiring the kind of mental twisting that'd make Bikram Choudhury look as inflexible as a butter knife.

CD07, CD09: Schauer, Peters among the most financially competitive

by: Eric B.

Mon Apr 28, 2008 at 08:36:49 AM EDT

We've been hearing for a couple of months now about Mark Schauer's fund raising successes, and we've been likewise been hearing about Joe Knollenberg's weaknesses in holding his own district.  Swing State Project gives us a look at how the two races stand up financially, and both make it into their top races nationwide.

Being an incumbent is supposed to give you two distinct advantages over a challenger.  It's supposed to mean that you have a party machine available to get out the vote.  It also means that you're supposed to be able to tap into already developed sources of cash.

We already know that Walberg has problems in-district with local parties (a couple of months ago, they were talking possible coup in the primary).  In terms of money, however, Swing State has given Schauer a 148 percent competitiveness rating owing to his cash advantage of $150,000. He's also rated sixth on the list.

Peters comes in 30th with a 48 percent competitive rating.  It's not unreasonable to expect Knollenberg to maintain this kind of lead through the rest of the race.  He is the incumbent and he also appears to not have the strained relations with his party.  Further, he is also said to have hit fund raising harder and earlier than Walberg, keeping an eye on 2006, when he was nearly upset.  I wonder, too, how Peters' numbers will look after the next filing.  This last filing represents a period when it appeared that the nomination would actually come to a vote in January, before Nancy Skinner pulled out. 

FEC report analysis: RealClearPolitics

by: Eric B.

Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 15:21:36 PM EDT

There aren't any surprises in this post at RealClearPolitics, except for this little nugget about Joe Knollenberg:

Knollenberg will be better financed than his colleague Walberg, though; after March, he had $1.33 million cash on hand after raising $1.85 million so far, more than he spent during the entire 2004 campaign.

The blog includes both the 7th and 9th among races it's keeping an eye on.

League of Conservation Voters endorses Peters

by: Eric B.

Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 13:13:14 PM EDT

It's not any surprise that the League of Conservation Voters today gave Gary Peters its endorsement.  Not because it's a hopelessly liberal organization, but because a few months ago, the LCV named Joe Knollenberg to its Dirty Dozen list.  He was, in fact, named to the list at the same time as Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe (inhofe, probably the worst in Congress, was the first to be named ... Knollenberg the second), which would be enough to shame any normal person.  Occasionally, Knollenberg pops off about global warming.  Here are a few pertinent things to keep in mind, from the LCV's press release.

In 1998 and 1999, Knollenberg attached a rider known as 'the Knollenberg amendment' to congressional budget appropriation bills to prevent government agencies from doing anything that would regulate global warming pollution, including forbidding the EPA from holding educational seminars about global warming. In August 2007, he voted against a provision that would increase the amount of renewable energy produced in the United States.

...

Rothenberg Political Report: CD07, CD09 lean Republican

by: Eric B.

Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 11:06:57 AM EDT

Joe Knollenberg: Freedom has failed us!

by: Eric B.

Tue Apr 15, 2008 at 09:30:51 AM EDT

Mined from yesterday's gold mine that gave us Mike Bishop's solution to the health care crisis as "Bust the unions!"  Joe Knollenberg:  "Kill Sam Bernstein!"

Several approaches to cutting costs were mentioned by the three men, none of whom support a government-run health-care system. Knollenberg said "junk" lawsuits cost $100 billion a year and should be stopped. He said technology could be used to eliminate mistakes in hospitals and that people need to take more personal responsibility for their health.

I don't know what Knollenberg thinks constitutes a "junk" lawsuit, and probably neither does Knollenberg.  He's just throwing a figure out there handed to him by someone else (probably seconded by a staffer from a think tank of some kind).  What is striking is that in the space of two sentences, he attacks freedom on two fronts.

In our system, in which "Freeeeeeedom!" is tossed around like "Bless you" after a sneeze, there are two ways to address harm done by one person to another.  You can either seek to prevent harm through regulation, or you can provide relief for harm through a robust civil court system.  In fact, it's true that the fewer regulations you have, the more free you are.

Under those circumstances, harm is prevented by the threat of lawsuit.  That is, if I'm a doctor, one of the things that prevents me from knocking back a few before doing brain surgery is that I could be held liable for it in a court of law (you'd hope a doctor would be motivated by things other than that, but I lay no value judgments at anyone's feet).

Key Michigan Races: April Quarterly Report Numbers

by: JPowers155

Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 17:46:42 PM EDT

UPDATE:  New CD-07 Numbers!
UPDATE 2:  More Numbers! 

We're starting to get gotten all of the fundraising numbers for the first three months of 2008 for the Michigan Congressional races. Please note, all sources for data will be cited.  Press releases will likely differ from the FEC filings since campaigns have more than one source of income. 

CD-07
Sen. Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek) has raised more than $326,000 this quarter with more than $750,000 in cash on hand.  (Source:  Schauer Campaign press release)  [FEC Reports say $323,549.59] Jim Berryman raised $0 and has $16,098.82 cash on hand while Sharon Renier raised $275.00, has a total of $45.04 cash on hand and owes a campaign debt of $5,200.00.  Congressman Walberg raised $265,095.70 ($87,500 from PACs) and has a total of $604,466.54 cash on hand.  Brad Smith raised $0, $465.83 cash on hand and debt of $138,150.  Former Congressman Joe Schwarz raised $300.00 and has $59,144.09 cash on hand. (Source:  FEC Campaign Reports)

CD-09
Democratic candidate Gary Peters has raised more than $346,000 this quarter bringing his total raised to nearly $748,000.  (Source:  Peters Campaign press release)  Incumbent Joe Knollenberg raised a total of   $400,171.00 with $112,500.00 from PACs.  Knollenberg has total cash on hand of $1,336,212.77.  Now former candidate Nancy Skinner raised $14,178.87 and has $13,680.48 cash on hand.  (Source:  FEC Campaign Reports)

CD-01
Congressman Bart Stupak raised a total of $109,292.14 with a total cash on hand of $451,522.03.  Tom Casperson raised $5,481.57 with a total cash on hand of $29,661.62.  (Source:  FEC Campaign Reports)

There's more below the fold...